Do you know who is babysitting your children? Well if you live in Illinois, you just might want to do some digging.
Recently the “Chicago Tribune” uncovered something pretty shocking and disturbing. Apparently Illinois subsidizes a childcare assistance program (totaling $750 million annually) that allows convicted rapists, child molesters and other violent criminals to babysit children who come from low income families.
To me this speaks of two problems. One is the idea that children from low income families are not being given protection. The second is the absurdity of allowing these types of people to have access to any children.
Babysitting has become almost a gamble. This is especially true when you consider the fact that most children who are molested are the victims of someone they know (and trust).
I have always been extremely cautious about who would babysit my children when they were younger. We only employed one teenage girl from our church. Otherwise it was family. But if I ever felt that my children were in any danger, I would certainly choose to forego a night on the town and stay home with them.
But I know that many parents don’t have a choice when it comes to babysitting. They have to work and they need to pay someone to watch their children. It is a difficult situation to be in.
I am so glad that those days are over with. It is one less worry to contend with. But at the same time I prefer that my children not babysit. I always have this worry that they could potentially be accused of something.
After all, I was a preschool teacher who was falsely accused by a 4-year-old of pulling her arm. I have been there and it’s a very disconcerting situation to be in. How do you defend yourself and yet call a 4-year-old a liar? Most people believe children.
I feel for parents who have to rely on babysitters, who hope and pray that their children are being well cared for. What about you…do you know who is babysitting your children?
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Photo by Creap in Flickr